Resetting mechanism



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United States Patent O 3,221,989 RESETTING MECHANISM Clarence W. Eraatz, Watertown, Wis., assignor to Durant Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 327,391 4 Claims. (Cl. 23S-144) This invention relates to counters and to the mechanism employed therein to reset the counter number wheels to a zero position. The illustrated and described embodiment of the present invention is particularly an improvement of the resetting mechanism of the counter disclosed in the U.S. Patent No. 2,980,329 issued to Walter W. Hoffmann.

Counters of the type shown in the Hoffmann patent have several decades of number wheels which are interconnected for separate actuation by a series of pinion gears. The number wheels are also provided with heartshaped resetting cams which are engaged by tine members when the counter is reset and cooperate with the tine members to move the number wheels to the zero position. The resetting is accomplished by depressing a resetting button. The depression of the button may be considered as a two-step operation; first the button is depressed to an intermediate position thereby causing a disengagement of the pinion gears to thereby free the number wheels; then the button is fully depressed during which time the tine members engage the resetting cams and cause the number wheels to be moved to the zero position.

The problem sometimes encountered in counters of this type has been that the operator tends to depress the resetting button only sufficiently far to accomplish the first step and fails to carry through with further depression thereby failing to move all or several of the number wheels to the zero position.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a resetting mechanism which will virtually assure full depression of the resetting button and therefore proper resetting of all number wheels.

This object is attained by providing a resetting mechanism in which the forces opposing the movement of the resetting button will be substantially reduced at the intermediate position thereby creating a snap action which will normally cause the operator to carry through with the full depression of the button.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from, the specification and claims, as will obvious modications of the embmodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front view of the counter mechanism embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary back view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 of the resetting yoke and reset button as it is secured within the counter frame;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the resetting mechanism with the parts of the mechanism being shown prior to resetting and with the number wheel and its cam being superimposed in broken lines and FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the parts being shown after the resetting button has been fully depressed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the resetting and counter mechanisms are contained in an open frame 10 which is adapted for panel mounting in production control and similar installations. The counter mechanism is of a conventional design which employs a plurality of number wheels 12, independently rotatably carried on shaft 14 which is fixed in opposite walls of the frame,

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whereby the number Wheels are operable to indicate the number of electrical impulses received by a coil 16. The number wheels are axially spaced from each other by bosses 17 integral with each wheel. The energization of the coil causes clapper 18 to pivot on shaft 20 toward the coil as the impulse is received thereby causing the upwardly bent pawl portion 22 to engage the ratchet wheel 24 and to advance the same through half a step. As the impulse dies the clapper is pivoted away from the coil by biasing means (not shown) thereby causing another half-step advancement of the ratchet wheel.

The stepping action of the ratchet wheel is transferred to the first number wheel by full tooth pinion gear 26 which is in engagement with driving gears 28 and 30 fixed for rotation with the ratchet wheel and first number wheel, respectively. The pinion gear is rotatably mounted on pinion gear shaft 32 which is mounted for limited slidable motion in slots 34 and which is maintained in the pinion gear engaging position by elements of the resetting mechanism which will be explained in more detail further in the specification.

During each complete revolution of a number wheel the next successive number wheel is advanced by one step by means of well-known broken tooth pinion gears 36 which are in engagement with a driving gear 30 of such successive number wheel and which are actuated by engagement means 31 carried by the first number wheel. All but the last pinion gears are engaged by inwardly bent ends 38 of spring fingers 40 which exert a generally upwardly directed bias on the pinion gears and the pinion gear shaft. The spring fingers are fixed to a cross member 42 of the frame.

The resetting mechanism is generally comprised of a plastic yoke 44, two pinion shaft throwout cams 46, and a reset button 48 connected to yoke 44 by means of toggle link 50. The throwout cams 46 are rotatably carried by shaft 14 and are normally biased in a counterclockwise direction (when viewing in FIGS. 5 and 6) coil springs 52 attached at one of their ends to the frame by pins 53. The spring force causes the outside wall 54 of notch 56 to engage the pinion gear shaft. The yoke 44 is of integral and preferably plastic design. It is pivotally mounted on shaft 20 and is biased in a clockwise direction by spring 58 engaged in a notch 60 in the yoke with pin 61 ofthe frame.

Each end of the yoke is provided with arms 62 having locking faces 64 which cooperate with the throwout cam to normally maintain the pinion gear shaft in the upward position in slot 34 thereby maintaining the pinion gears in engagement with the driving gears of the number wheels. The yoke is also provided with two lugs 66, each being generally in the vertical plane as its corresponding arm 62 and each having normally vertically inclined face 63 in engagement with tabs 70 of the throwout cams. The yoke is also provided with tines 72 which are adapted to engage heart-shaped resetting cams 74 of the number wheels during resetting of the counter.

The resetting button 48 is carried for slidable motion in the frame by collar section 76 and is normally biased outwardly by coil spring 78 engaged at one end in the collar section and at its other end with tab 80 of the toggle link 50. The toggle link is pivotally fixed to the resetting button by pin 82 and its other end is received in notch 84 of the yoke thereby permitting limited pivotal motion of the link in respect to the yoke.

As the resetting button is depressed the toggle link transfers the force exerted on the button to the yoke thereby causing the latter to pivot in a counterclockwise direction. At this point it should be noted that in the initial, or counting, position (FIG. 5), the toggle link is approximately at a 55 position with the horizontal, and that at the full resetting position (FIG. 6) the link has been moved to a position approximately 30 with the horizontal.

During the initial downward movement of the button, arms 62 move away from the pinion gear shaft engaging position and lugs 66 cause the throwout cam 46 to pivot in a clockwise direction thereby causing the inclined face 79 of notch 56 of each throwout cam to force the pinion shaft downwardly in slot 34. At an intermediate downward position of the reset button the pinion gear shaft has been moved to the lower end of the slot, in which position all pinion gears are disengaged from their respective driving gears. At this time the high rise porton or corner 81 of the throwout cam is in engagement with the pinion gear shaft and any further downward movement of the button and corresponding rotation of the throwout cams will cause the corner 81 to ride over the shaft. At this point it is important to note that the force exerted by the spring fingers has a component acting in opposition to the pivotal motion of the throwout cam before the corner 81 engages the pinion gear shaft, whereas upon further pivoting of the throwout cam the pinion gear shaft comes in contact with the arcuate face 83 thereby substantially eliminating this opposing force component.

At substantially the same time as corner Si) rides over the pinion gear shaft, the toggle link passes through the 45 position, at which the downward force acting on the reset button attains its maximum generally horizontally directed component which is transferred to the yoke. Although the path of the lower end of the toggle link is arcuate around shaft 2Q, for the purpose of force vector analysis it can be considered generally horizontal without introducing any significant error in the analysis.

The further depression of the button beyond the intermediate position causes tines 72 to engage the heartshaped resetting cams to thereby move all number wheels to the zero position.

The significance of causing the corner 81 of the throwout cam to ride over the pinion gear shaft 32 at lan intermediate position, and of causing the toggle link to pass through the 45 position at substantially the same time, is that maximum force vector is caused to act on the yoke at the same time as the force opposing the downward movement of the reset button is suddenly reduced, thereby resulting in a snap action which tends to assure that the operator will carry through the depression of the button to the complete resetting position.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A counter comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of number wheels having resetting cams and being rotatably carried by a number wheel shaft which is fixed to said frame;

means for actuating one of said number wheels;

transfer means for transferring rotary motion from wheel to wheel, said transfer means including transfer pinions carried on a pinion shaft which is slidably mounted in said frame for movement between countgli ing and resetting positions, said transfer means also including means biasing said pinion shaft towards Said counting positon;

a resetting button carried by said frame for lineally slidable motion between a first and a second position corresponding to said counting and resetting positions of said pinion shaft;

cam means pivotally fixed to said frame and movable in response to said motion of said resetting button, said cam means having a notch with an inclined side leading to a generally arcuate cam portion, said pinion shaft being located in said notch when said shaft is in said counting position and said shaft being moved against the biasing force of said biasing means by said inclined side to said lresetting position when said cam means is moved to an intermediate position and said arcuate cam portion engaging said pinion shaft to maintain it in said resetting position as said cam means is moved past said intermediate position thereby reducing the force of said biasing means which opposes said pivotal motion of said cam means;

tine means including a cam engaging section operable to move `said cam means and including tines which are operable to engage said resetting cams and thereby move said number wheels to a predetermined position;

a link pivotally connected to said resetting button and to said tine means to transfer' said motion of said resetting button to said tine means, said link passing through a position at which the actuating force of said resetting button will have its maximum component in a direction causing pivotal motion of said calm means at the same time mhen said cam means is moved to said intermediate position.

2. A counter according to claim i wherein said cam means comprises two cams of which each is located on opposite ends of the plurality of number Wheels and is pivotally mounted on said number wheel shaft.

3. A counter according to claim 2 wherein said tine means is comprised of a yoke and said link is connected to said yoke at a location generally central in respect to the ends of the yoke.

4. A counter according to claim ll wherein said link is loaded in compression as said resetting button is moved from said first to `said second position, and wherein said link is inclined at an angle smaller than 45 in respect to the direction of said lineal motion of said resetting button and passes through a position substantially at 45 in respect thereto when said cam means is at said intermediate position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,563,668 8/1951 Abel 23S-144 2,989,329 4/1961 Hoffmann 234-139 3,053,441 9/ 1962 Vroom. 3,064,893 11/1962 Grinstead 23S-144 FOREIGN PATENTS 669,409 12/1938 Germany.

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COUNTER COMPRISING: A FRAME; A PLURALITY OF NUMBER WHEELS HAVING RESETTING CAMS AND BEING ROTATABLY CARRIED BY A NUMBER WHEEL SHAFT WHICH IS FIXED TO SAID FRAME; MEANS FOR ACTUATING ONE OF SAID NUMBER WHEELS; TRANSFER MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING ROTARY MOTION FROM WHEEL TO WHEEL, SAID TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING TRANSFER PINIONS CARRIED ON A PINION SHAFT WHICH IS SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN COUNTING AND RESETTING POSITIONS, SAID TRANSFER MEANS ALSO INCLUDING MEANS BIASING SAID PINIONSHAFT TOWARDS SAID COUNTING POSITION; A RESETTING BOTTOM CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR LINEALLY SLIDABLE MOTION BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION CORRESPONDING TO SAID COUNTING AND RESETTING POSITIONS OF SAID PINION SHAFT; CAM MEANS PIVOTALLY FIXED TO SAID FRAME AND MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO SAID MOTION OF SAID RESETTING BUTTON, SAID CAM MEANS HAVING A NOTCH WITH AN INCLINED SIDE LEADING TO A GENERALLY ARCUATE CAM PORTION, SAID PINION SHAFT BEING LOCATED IN SAID NOTCH WHEN SAID SHAFT IS IN SAID COUNTING POSITION AND SAID SHAFT BEING MOVED AGAINST THE BIASING FORCE OF SAID BIASING MEANS BY SAID INCLINED SIDE TO SAID RESETTING POSITION WHEN SAID CAM MEANS IS MOVED TO AN INTERMEDIATE 